Daily Reading for April 27

The overarching story of the cross and resurrection, within which Jesus’ stories and the stories about Jesus come together, in turn gathers in the stories of the Hebrew Scriptures so that they become newly laden with transforming potential. The drama of the early Christians’ discovery of the newly revealing power of the old stories in the light of the cross is condensed in Luke’s wonderful account of the walk to Emmaus. “And he said to them, ‘O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (24:25-27).

In Christian faith the Story and the stories within it are not illustrations of truth which could be conveyed in another way. There are no philosophical principles which can be distilled from them and the stories then discarded as empty husks. The stories themselves are indispensable sacramental means of encounter with the Word which became flesh. Just as no satisfactory definition of the kingdom of God can be extracted from the parables, no abstract theory of the atonement can be refined from the passion narratives. The personal engagement with the stories can never be superseded or sidestepped by merely subscribing to doctrines supposedly drawn from them.

From The Word is Very Near You: A Guide to Praying with Scripture by Martin L. Smith (Cowley Publications, 1989).